International Journal of Paleopathology最新文献

{"title":"Play or foul play: A case of perimortem cranial injuries on a child from Yaoheyuan, Western Zhou China (1046–771 BCE)","authors":"Yaohan Wu ,&nbsp;Qiang Ma ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Shen ,&nbsp;Pianpian Wei ,&nbsp;Shaoqing Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This paper evaluates evidence of trauma observed on a skeleton of a child from Ningxia, China in order to assess the potential cause of the lesions.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Skeletonized remains of Individual M26:R3 from the site of Yaoheyuan in Western Zhou, dated 1046–771 BCE.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Standard osteological methods were carried out. Nano-CT scans were used to determine possible endocranial trauma and to reconstruct the crania. Ancient DNA analysis was conducted on the remains of the three individuals interred in burial M26 to determine possible kinship relationships.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 59 individuals were studied. The individual under examination was a male with an estimated age of 6–9 years old. The child was found alongside two adult females. The osteological analysis and CT scans indicated two perimortem injuries and one possible perimortem sharp force cutmark on his cranium. Ancient DNA analysis performed on the three individuals in burial M26 revealed no familial relatedness.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The multiple strike marks on the remains of the child, along with the fact that he was the only individual in this burial ground showing clear evidence of sharp force cranial injuries, might suggest a unique incident of violence.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This paper demonstrates how the integration of osteoarchaeological observation with ancient DNA analysis can provide insight and contextualization of perimortem events.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Post-depositional disturbance affecting the archaeological contexts of this cemetery complicates the interpretation of this case.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for future research</h3><div>Systematic archaeological and historical data are needed to understand reasons behind violent episodes in ancient China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 55-61"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145202594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"External auditory exostoses in fragmentary remains: Evidence for activity and human-environment interactions at Early Neolithic Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan","authors":"Giulia Ragazzon","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This research assesses external auditory exostoses (EAEs) as markers of aquatic activity in individuals from the Early Neolithic inland site of Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan (c.7700–7100 BCE).</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Thirty-four individuals (6 non-adults and 28 adults) represented by 50 external auditory canals (27 left and 23 right), both fragmentary and intact, were included in the study.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Auditory canals were macroscopically examined for the presence or absence of bone growths, with their location and severity recorded.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Twenty-four individuals (70.6 %) and 31 auditory canals (62 %), 18 left (66.7 %) and 13 right (56.5 %), displayed EAEs. No significant differences in -frequency were found according to biological sex, age-at-death or burial location.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Supported by archaeological evidence, the frequency of EAEs at Bestansur suggests male, female and non-adult engagement in fishing, mollusc harvesting and, possibly, other activities in aquatic environments, shedding light on social participation and the importance of freshwater habitats in Neolithic economies in the Zagros.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>While adding to previous studies of EAEs in fragmentary remains, this research highlights the benefit of contextualised palaeopathological analysis as a means of exploring human behaviour and human-environment interactions. The assessment of EAEs in past populations can offer insights into the variables shaping human behaviour and complex subsistence strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Sample size and distribution were affected by poor preservation, requiring interpretative caution.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Future research should acquire regional comparative data and explore correlations between EAE location and severity, and co-occurrences of bone changes in the auditory canal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 43-54"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating an osteoid osteoma of the zygomatic bone: A macromorphological and micro-CT study","authors":"Veda Mikasinovic ,&nbsp;Jelena Jadzic ,&nbsp;Marija Djurić ,&nbsp;Ksenija Djukic","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Osteoid osteoma (OO) is a benign, ovoid-shaped bone neoplasm that predominantly affects long bones of the lower limbs, making its presence on a zygomatic bone exceptionally rare. This paper evaluates a case of zygomatic OO, analyzed by integration of macroscopic and high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) assessment.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>The skeletal remains of a 35–50-year-old male from grave 62/2, Site 40 (Avar-period necropolis Site 40, Potes Gornje Sajlovo, northern Serbia), dated between the 7th and 9th centuries CE, were analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We performed bioanthropological and paleopathological analyses of skeletal material, along with high-resolution micro-CT imaging of the zygomatic lesion.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A well-circumscribed, protruding mass was identified on the left zygomatic bone. The lesion measured 15.93 mm antero-posterior and 14.92 mm medio-lateral, with a 6.74 mm-long centrally positioned nidus surrounded by sclerotic bone.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our study represents a rare case of craniofacial OO in an archaeological population, highlighting the diagnostic value of micro-CT in paleopathology.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Documenting OO in an archaeological context contributes to understanding the prevalence and presentation of benign bone neoplasms, potentially offering insights into the evolution of tumor biology.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>As this is a single-case study, generalizations are limited. Nevertheless, it provides novel micro-CT findings of the OO of the zygomatic bone, highlighting the need for broader application in paleopathological research to establish standard diagnostic criteria.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Further research should employ a multidisciplinary and multi-scale approach to investigate this or similar skeletal pathological conditions from archaeological contexts at the population level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 35-42"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145102731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A probable malignant neoplasm in an adolescent male from the historic First Baptist Church of Philadelphia burial ground (1722–1859, USA)","authors":"Jared S. Beatrice ,&nbsp;Nicholas E. Bonneau ,&nbsp;George M. Leader","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.09.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate a suite of lesions in the skeletal remains of an adolescent from historic Philadelphia.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>The well-preserved skeleton excavated from the historic burial ground of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia (1722–1859) following disturbance by construction.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Lesions were identified and described using macroscopic visual assessment aided by low-power magnification. A differential diagnosis was conducted that considered taphonomy and multiple possible disease categories.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The individual was estimated to be a 15–19-year-old male. A combination of primarily osteolytic and mixed osteolytic/osteoblastic lesions was observed throughout the axial skeleton, as well as on the left scapula, and the innominates.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The distribution and morphological characteristics of the lesions are highly consistent with a malignant neoplasm involving the hematopoietic marrow.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This probable case adds to the scant paleopathological evidence for childhood and adolescent cancer in North America broadly, and in the eighteenth to nineteenth century mid-Atlantic specifically. Contextualization of the results provides a broader understanding of the experience of cancer in historic Philadelphia.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The examination of lesions was limited to macroscopic visual analysis. Incorporating radiologic techniques would have permitted the observation of additional features and, possibly, may have narrowed the diagnostic options for the pathological process.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for Further Research</h3><div>Lesion characteristics in this individual overlap with several malignancies. The case study underscores that paleopathologists should continue to exercise caution in the differential diagnosis of neoplastic disease, especially if relying on visual analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 25-34"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145092875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bone trauma and interpersonal care among Late Holocene hunter-gatherers from Patagonia, Argentina","authors":"Victoria Romano ,&nbsp;Gustavo Flensborg ,&nbsp;Alejandro Serna","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate the social implications of traumatic injuries in non-sedentary hunter-gatherers by analysing osteological remains through models based on the Bioarchaeology of Care.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Human skeletal remains from North Patagonia (Late Holocene). 3179 anatomical elements from 189 individuals of both sexes and different age categories.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Macroscopic analysis of all bones to identify two injury types (dislocations and fractures) to apply the Index of Care to each case.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>About 20 % of individuals suffered injuries, mostly mild, requiring short-term care. Severe cases needed intensive care, likely disrupting the normal routines of daily life in the group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Despite logistical costs and disabilities that led, in some cases, to social reorganisation of daily or planned activities, these groups ensured their peers' survival and recovery through care.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The Index of Care was expanded by defining categories based on care intensity, applicable to any context, and offers new information about interpersonal care in Patagonia.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Only osteological remains are available to assess interpersonal care.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Incorporate other pathological conditions (e.g., bone infections) and more samples on a larger spatial-temporal scale to evaluate interpersonal care in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 10-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paleoparasitological evidence of helminth infections in individuals from two Late Iron Age necropolises in Northern Italy (3rd-1st c. BCE)","authors":"Ramón López-Gijón ,&nbsp;Zita Laffranchi ,&nbsp;Wolf-Rüdiger Teegen ,&nbsp;Matthieu Le Bailly ,&nbsp;Salvatore Duras ,&nbsp;Kévin Roche ,&nbsp;Daniele Vitali ,&nbsp;Luciano Salzani ,&nbsp;Albert Zink ,&nbsp;Marco Milella","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Evaluate the presence of digestive macroparasites (helminths) in human remains from the Late Iron Age (3rd-1st c. BCE) in northern Italy (Verona province).</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Pelvic soil samples and control samples from the skull or foot areas of 55 individuals from the necropolises of Seminario Vescovile (n = 45) and Povegliano Veronese (n = 10).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>All samples were examined using brightfield optical microscopy. In addition, soil samples from 10 individuals from Seminario were analysed through paleogenetic methods in order to complement the microscopic analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirty <em>Ascaridida</em> eggs in pelvic samples from 6 individuals (3 from Seminario and 3 from Povegliano: 6.7 % and 30 % of the respective samples) were evaluated. Evidence of roundworm infection was observed in both sexes and in adults and non-adult individuals.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The presence of <em>Ascaridida,</em> likely <em>Ascaris</em> sp., eggs at both sites suggests that ineffective sanitation may have contributed to parasite exposure in these Late Iron Age communities.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study provides novel insights into environmental and health risks among Iron Age communities. It also highlights the need for a critical assessment of taphonomic factors and sampling procedures when interpreting paleoparasitological data.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The low frequency of identified eggs and the absence of recoverable parasite DNA at Seminario highlight taphonomic factors as a potential source of bias. The limited sample size from Povegliano also warrants caution in interpretation.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Future studies integrating paleoparasitological and anthropological data are essential to evaluate the prevalence of parasitic infections in Iron Age populations from the Italian Peninsula.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence of interpersonal violence through nasal fractures in Late Holocene Southern Patagonia","authors":"Manuel Domingo D´Angelo del Campo ,&nbsp;Bruno M. Magalhães ,&nbsp;Felipe Otero ,&nbsp;G. Lorena L’Heureux ,&nbsp;Nora V. Franco ,&nbsp;Ramiro Barberena ,&nbsp;Laura Medialdea ,&nbsp;Marta Alfonso-Durruty ,&nbsp;Luis A. Borrero","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To analyse the prevalence of nasal fracture among individuals from Southern Patagonia and to identify nasal fracture patterns that may reflect interpersonal violence at the population level, differentiating between pre- and post-contact periods.</div></div><div><h3>Material</h3><div>98 adults (males and females) dated to the Late Holocene period (4200 B.P.– present) from all Southern Patagonia ecogeographic subregions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Facial bones were macroscopically examined for side of the fracture, direction of the deviation of the nasal bones and/or frontal processes of the maxilla, type of fracture (e.g. transverse, longitudinal), presence/absence of other facial fractures, and bone remodelling.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Nasal fractures were identified in fifteen individuals (15.3 %), and were more frequent in males, particularly those from the Estrecho de Magallanes region. Comparisons revealed a significantly higher frequency among pre-contact individuals (23.8 % vs. 2.6 %; p = 0.0184).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study documents the highest frequency of nasal fracture reported to date in South America’s bioarcheological record. Contrary to expectations, pre-contact individuals had a significantly higher frequency, suggesting a possible shift in violence dynamics following foreign contact.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study provides insight into patterns of violence potentially linked to changes in pre and post-colonial life in Southern Patagonia and represents one of the first population-level biocultural approaches to interpersonal violence in the region.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Analyses are limited due to the reduced number of individuals by sex, subregion, subsistence strategy, and period. Comparisons are hindered by the methodological heterogeneity of other studies on interpersonal violence in Patagonia and South America.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"50 ","pages":"Pages 91-101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144769467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do the regions of the spinal column record stress differently? An analysis of diminished growth in the vertebral neural canal","authors":"Jennifer S. Nelson ,&nbsp;Emily Holland ,&nbsp;Lesley Harrington ,&nbsp;Hugo F.V. Cardoso","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explores the validity of the focus on lumbar vertebral neural canal (VNC) diameters as a non-specific stress indicator by comparing evidence of diminished growth between vertebral regions.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar VNC diameters were measured from 29 children (3–18 years) from the Certosa collection, a documented late 19th century skeletal assemblage.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Z-scores were calculated for each individual vertebra using published anterior-posterior (APD) and transverse (TRD) vertebral diameters obtained from radiographic images of living children. Differences in mean APD and TRD z-scores between vertebral regions were assessed using Repeated Measures ANOVA.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Cervical TRD growth reduction was significantly greater than in the lumbar (<em>p</em> ≤ 0.001) and thoracic regions (<em>p</em> ≤ 0.001), which did not differ significantly (<em>p</em> = 0.524). Mean lumbar APD values were lower than cervical values, but not significantly (F[1,20]=2.259, <em>p</em> = 0.148).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Contrary to current methodological practices, cervical vertebrae TRD showed more diminished growth than thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, while analysis of cervical APD indicates that these vertebrae may be as informative about non-specific stress as lumbar vertebrae.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>An exclusionary focus on lumbar vertebrae could overlook growth insults recorded by the earlier developing cervical vertebrae. This article demonstrates the benefit of reevaluating past research and methodological practices in paleopathology.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The use of comparative data from living children may not be applicable to growth in non-surviving children. Magnification may impact the comparability of data from radiographs with manual measurements.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for Further Research</h3><div>Future research using comparative data from magnification-free sources and including the thoracic APD is advised.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"50 ","pages":"Pages 81-90"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ivy and the palm: Care and mourning for a child buried in 19th-century Madrid, Spain","authors":"Luis Ríos ,&nbsp;Berta Martínez ,&nbsp;Almudena García-Rubio ,&nbsp;Francisco Etxeberria ,&nbsp;Mercedes González ,&nbsp;María Paz de Miguel Ibañéz ,&nbsp;Virginia Valcárcel Núñez","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate indicators of care and symbolism in a mid-19th-century child burial.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Mummified human remains, a medical bandage, remnants of plants and clothing.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Dental radiography, scanning electron microscopy, botanical identification, clothing description, a review of funerary iconography.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A dental age between 5.5 and 6.5 years and a female sex were estimated. The bandage on the left arm contained a metal plate composed of copper and zinc, and an ivy leaf (genus <em>Hedera</em>). A palm branch (<em>Phoenix dactylifera</em>) was placed in the coffin, and the corpse was dressed in blue clothing.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The bandage combines traditional knowledge (<em>Hedera</em> leaf) and contemporaneous recommendations from medical texts (metal plate) and represents a case of care of a child in mid-19th-century Madrid. The blue clothing and braided palm branch represent a Christian codified mourning for her death.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Evaluating funerary objects alongside skeletal remains has provided insight into ways in which traditional medical treatment, alongside current religious symbolism was intertwined to provide care and to mourn for a 19th-century child.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Preservation concerns and time constraints due to reburial precluded a complete study of the remains, and the type of ivy leaf (fertile) limits identification at the species level.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>A review of plant use in the funerary and paleopathological record during the Early Modern Period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"50 ","pages":"Pages 73-80"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Focus-stacked, ultra-macro photography: A tool for analysis, diagnosis and recording in bioarchaeology","authors":"David Bennett-Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study assesses the potential role of focus-stacked, ultra-macro photography in the differential diagnosis of pathological conditions in human skeletal remains.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>1. A segment of calcified artery from the remains of a medieval cleric from Staffordshire, UK. 2. The skeletal remains of an eight-year-old child with active rickets from mid-19th century London. 3. Skeletal remains of a Romano-British neonate from Buckinghamshire, UK.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A microscope objective lens was attached, via an extension tube and relay lens, to a digital camera on a motorised focus-stacking rail. Photographs of skeletal elements and calcified arteries were taken at progressively close focal distance, and processed digitally to generate a single, fully focused image.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>On-screen magnification of up to ∼Χ1000 is achievable, permitting visualisation of bone modelling units (osteoclastic pits) and osteonal lamellae. The highly magnified images of skeletal remains reveal physiological and pathological changes which are undetectable with conventional macroscopic examination.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Ultra-macro photography facilitates the biological model of differential diagnosis in bioarchaeology and contributes to revised interpretation.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Focus-stacked photography, using microscope objective lenses, is an inexpensive and practical method for detecting, analysing and recording physiological and pathological change in skeletal remains.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Images from only three individuals were evaluated in this study.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Further studies are needed to control for illumination, presentation of contour and accuracy of colour reproduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"50 ","pages":"Pages 67-72"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144672160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}